Mainspring-winder.



F. R. CUNNINGHAM.

MAINSPRING WINDEE I APPLICATION FILED 11113.16, 1909.

PatentewMar. 14, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK R. CUNNINGHAM, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS-SIGNMENTS, TO KENDRICK AND DAVIS COMPANY, OF LEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE,

A CORPORATION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MAINSPRING-WINDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R. CUNNING- HAM, of Medford, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in lvlainspring-VVinders, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to instruments for coiling or winding upmain-springs for time-pieces, and its object is to make one instrumentadaptable for coiling springs of a wide range of sizes.

Main-spring winders of the type to which the invention refers have anarbor rotatable in bearings, and provided with a hook or pin to engageone end of the springs. One of the bearings ,is provided with a flangefor confining the spring as it is wound, and constituting a barrel.WVhen dilferent sizes of springs are to be wound, the barrels and arborsare removed and others suitable for the springs to be operated upon aresubstituted.

The particular improvement which constitutes the present invention isone which permits the arbor to be more readily removed from and replacedin its bearings. It is movable endwise readily into and out of one ofthe bearings, but cannot be so inserted in and removed from the otherhear ing, on account of a collar and a crank formed on the arbor 011opposite sides of the latter bearing. By this invention I have modifiedand improved such bearing so that the arbor may be readily slippedlaterally into and out of the same, and may be locked therein againstaccidental displacement.

In the drawings I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Figure 1 represents an elevation thereof. Fig. 2 represents a plan,showing the improved bearing constituting the invention, in horizontalsection. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4L represents a section on the same line, showing the bearing lock in adifferent position. Fig. 5 represents an elevation of the locking sleevefor the bearing.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

The winder itself consists of a frame or bracket 64 which is adapted tobe held by its lower end Z) in a vise, or otherwise securedSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 16,

in upright position. The frame has two Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

1909. Serial No. 483,763.

arms c and (Z, the former of which contains a sleeve 6, and the latterof which is itself a bearing for the winding arbor f. The sleeve 0 isretained in the frame 0 by a setscrew 9, and has on the outer end acylindrical flange or barrel h provided with a notch 2' through whichthe spring is drawn in being wound. On the end of the arbor is a pin orhook j, which engages with the inner end of the main spring, and coilsthe latter on the arbor, drawing it into the barrel through the notch2". Vithin the sleeve 0 is an endwise movable sleeve is which serves asthe bearing for the end of the arbor, and into which this end is readilymovable. A disk Z on the last-named sleeve is contained within thebarrel h, and may be moved outward by a collar m on the arbor when thelatter is pressed against the inner end of the sleeve, to push thewound-up main-spring from the barrel 7L and place it in the main-springbarrel of a watch. A crank it formed on the end of the arbor enables thelatter to be rotated for winding springs.

The part of the device above described is no different from the standardspring winder which has long been on the market and is substantially thesame in essential respects as the device illustrated, for example, inthe patent to A. F. Robbins, No. 325,973, granted September 8, 1885, andI make no claim to the same as a part of my invention. The feature inwhich my invention consists is that which permits a ready removal andsubstitution of different arbors for the pur pose of permitting springsof different sizes to be wound, the essentials and the preferred form ofconstruction of which appear from the remainder of this specification.

When springs of different sizes are to be wound, provision is made byremoving and substituting diflerent arbors and bearing sleeves havingbarrel flanges of appropriate sizes. In order to permit ready removaland replacement of arbors, I have constructed the bearing (Z with alateral opening or slot 0 of a width at least as great as the diameterof the arbor, so that the latter may be inserted and removedtransversely of its axis. The arbor is held against accidentaldisplacement by a locking sleeve or ring 9 journaled upon a hub q of thearbor, which sleeve or ring extends over the end of the hub and has aninternal cylindrical surface forming a continuation of the surface ofthe bearing. This ring is incomplete, having an opening or slot '7" inone side, of approximately the same width as the slot 0. The rotarymounting of the sleeve enables it to be turned so that the slot 1" comesinto registry with the slot 0, and in that position the arbors may beremoved and inserted. Then shifted into another position, as showninFig. 8, the ring extends across' and obstructs the opening 0 so thatthe arbor cannot be removed. The ring is held in place by a studpreferably constructed as a set-screw s, which enters a groove in thehub g. A bow spring u is contained in the ring, being held in place bythe screw 8'. This spring is curved on a slightly larger radius than therecess Within the ring in which it is contained, so that it bears at itsends against the walls of this recess andis slightly separated therefromat its center when inequilibrium. On account of this construction, itexerts a frictlonal pressure against the huh by wh1ch 1t 1s kept fromturning. too readily.

1. In a main-spring winder, a frame having a pair of arms, bearings insaid arms, a winding arbor revolubly contained in said bearings, one. ofthe bearings having a hub I and a lateral opening, and a retaining ringjournaled externally on said hub and hav ing a slot in its side.

7 2. In a main-spring winder, a frame having a pair of arms, bearings 1nsald arms, a winding arbor revolubly contained n said bearings, one ofthe bearings having a hub the ring is seated.

ent radius than that of the recess to exert a frictional pressure on thebearing whereou 4. In a tool of the character described, a locking ringhaving a central recess, and a bow spring in said recess bearing at itsends on, and separated between its ends from,

- the adjacent wall of the recess to press frictionally upon the hubwhereon sald ring is seated.

5. In a main-spring winder, a frame having a pair of arms, bearings insaid arms, a winding arbor revolubly contained in said bearings, one ofthe bearings having a hub and a lateral opening, a retainingringjournaled on said hub and having a slot in its side, a stud set insaid ring and entering a semicircumferentia1 groove in said hub toretain the ring thereon while permitting its rotary movement, and aspring contained in said ring between the adjacent surfaces of thespring and hub, bearing frictionally against the latter, and retained inplace by said stud.

6. In a main-spring winder, a frame having a pair of arms, bearings insaid arms, a

winding arbor revolubly contained in said bearings, one of the bearingshaving a hub and a lateral opening, a retaining ring journaled on saidhub and having a slot in its side, a stud set in said ring and enteringa semicircumferential groove in said hub to retain the ring thereonwhile permitting its rotary movement, and a spring contained in saidring between the adjacent surfaces of the spring and hub, bearingfrictionally against the latter, and having an aperture through whichsaid stud passes, whereby it is held in place.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK R. CUNNINGHAM. IVitnesses P. W. PnzzETrI, E. BATGHELDER.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

